Taylor Swift has officially bought back the master recordings of her first six albums, marking the end of a bitter and public battle over the rights to her music.
What Happened: In a heartfelt statement posted to her website, Swift wrote, “I’ve been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out this is really happening,” adding, “All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me.”
The development was first spotted by the BBC.
The conflict began in 2019 when music executive Scooter Braun acquired Big Machine Records, Swift’s former label, and with it, the masters of her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation.
Swift, who was not given the opportunity to purchase the masters herself, publicly objected to the sale, citing Braun’s ties to Kanye West and calling the deal a betrayal, the report noted.
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As a workaround, Swift began re-recording her early albums as “Taylor’s Versions” to regain control of her work. So far, she has released four of them, including Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
“I almost stopped thinking it could ever happen,” Swift wrote, reflecting on her two-decade struggle to regain control of her catalog. “But that’s all in the past now.”
Why It’s Important: Owning her master recordings gives Swift full control over how her music is licensed and distributed—a crucial shift in an industry where artists often lack that power.
While the exact terms of the buyback remain undisclosed, Swift emphasized that the fight was about more than business—it was about creative ownership.
In the letter, Swift told fans she’s paused work on re-recording her 2017 album Reputation, saying she hit a “stopping point” because the album was so tied to a specific, emotionally complex time in her life.
While a snippet of the re-recorded Reputation track “Look What You Made Me Do” was previewed recently, her letter hinted that the full re-recording may be delayed or possibly not happen, the report added.
Still, she plans to release unreleased vault tracks from the album if fans are interested.
Swift also confirmed she has re-recorded her self-titled debut album and is happy with how it sounds. She said both albums could still have their moment to re-emerge in the future, but only as a celebration, not from sadness or longing.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock/Brian Friedman
